Monday, October 31, 2016

Sewing Again. . .

You know it's been a long time in between sewing projects when you haven't hooked up your sewing machine since it was cleaned early in the month!  Today it not only got hooked up, but it was used on a project from start to finish!  I cut out and sewed up one of the leotards we'll give one of our twin granddaughters for her birthday this weekend.  I have the pattern all cut out and taped for her twin's, which will be tomorrow's project.

I love the Wild Ginger Child's Play software.  I think they are on version 6 now, and I've been using it to make kids' clothing since v1.  Our oldest granddaughter has always been thin, and it's been difficult for her to find pants with a small enough waist that are long enough.  She's a preteen now and is maturing, so I figure it won't be too long before she'll be able to use the women's software, Pattern Master Boutique and the Knit program.  These days when we have more than a quick weekend together she likes to sew along with me.  I think she'll get to learn to use the serger this coming summer.

I'll add to this post when I get the second leotard done.  I had to write today, though, because it felt so good to complete something in the sewing room. 

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Gearing Up for Holiday Projects!

I love the possibilities of this time of year.  There are always so many different projects I want to do--some knitting, some crocheting and some sewing for the holidays.  I'm already working on a crocheted scarf pattern I found in the book Knit Local by Tanis Gray.  I think all of the other projects in the book are knit, but this beautiful pattern, Wildflowers Scarf designed by Linda Permann, caught my eye.  I'm using some yarn I got last year at the Hill Country Yarn Crawl at The Tinsmith's Wife in Comfort.  It's a fingering/sock weight yarn hand dyed in Austin by Bronotta Yarns named "Citadel" in the color Sargasso.  It's a beautiful mix of green to teal that is gorgeous as the pattern begins.

It started out with 340 foundation crochets.  I wrote about taking a class with Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby at Stitches Texas in the technique, and I really, really love it!  The scarf is crocheted the long way, so there's only 12 rows in all.  I'm almost done with the fourth, and the lacy flowers it's creating are wonderful.

Yesterday I was texting with one of our nieces and found out she likes gold, so she's getting a knit cowl from the pattern Kate Atherley is sharing on the Fall Knit Along on Craftsy.  It's a fairly simple knit lace pattern, and best of all one of my friends and I are going to have our own Knit Along and work on it beginning at the end of the month.  The KAL has a hat for November, but not sure I'll get to it this year, but did get enough yarn that I could.

My two gymnast granddaughters are going to be getting leotards sewn by me.  I have a great source at Needlenook Fabrics in Wichita to get the type of fabric needed for them.  It will be nice for them to have something that no one else has, and each will be different.  I have a few more doll clothes they might get, too.

My other sewing project will be for DD#2 and her husband.  They're opening a Montessori school next year, and I'll be sewing several things for the school when the remodel is finished.  I don't have a list yet of what she needs, but am looking forward to helping her with this.

The only grandson will get a GREEN knitted jacket.  He's going to be 4 soon, but think I'll knit a 6 so he can use it for a bit.  Green is his absolute favorite color, and I also found a really nice, 70% off, backpack for him with his beloved Ninja Turtles on it.

Miss V will get a new charm for her bracelet--haven't been to pick it out yet.  Saw her wearing it when she went to her first-ever school dance not long ago.  Made me smile.  Her Mom and Aunt loved theirs as well at that age.  I'll be giving her something sewn specifically for her, but haven't decided what yet.

Not sure what else will be on the docket.  I always think about the kids first, and quite frankly, there will probably be someone who gets a box with a partially (hopefully mostly) finished project in it that I'll complete after Christmas is over.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Great Time At Stitches Texas!

I learned to crochet when I was a kid from my grandmother.  While I was in college I taught myself to knit using the English or Western method, which means I was a thrower.  I did both when the mood struck until around '85 when I went back to grad school and something had to give.  I stayed with the sewing, but the fiber arts went by the wayside.  During the last three years, I've picked them back up again--first knitting, and last fall crochet.  It has truly amazed me how much everthing's changed about the crafts, from the yarn to the needles and hooks to the methods, and what hooked me on working with them again was the math that is used to create things to actually fit.  That said, I want to continue to grow in my knowledge of these particular fiber arts.

A week ago I attended the second Stitches Texas at the Irving Convention Center.  Last year I took two days of knitting with Andrea Wong, and was hoping she would be teaching her knitting socks using the Portuguese knitting method, but when the classes were announced, she wasn't there.  I looked through the offerings and decided to do a beading class with Judith Durant, two crochet classes with Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby and two classes with Gwen Bortner.  I picked wisely--there wasn't a single class I didn't gain from!

Beading with Judith Durant:  We explored five different methods for inserting beads into our knitting.  Not all are equally pleasant to do, however!  Spending close to an hour on threading beads probably won't ever be my idea of fun, but the results are pretty spectacular.  As a result, I bought her book Knit One, Bead Too: Five Techniques for Knitting with Beads. We worked on all five, and there's an amazing scarf in the book that I hope to get done up for someone special's birthday soon.

Gwen Bortner:  I took two classes from Gwen--one on working with non-wool fibers and the other on how to knit backwards.  The non-wool class was the first one I had and the knitting backwards was the last.  Gwen is extremely organized and has great notes.  She had a lot of information to share about non-wools, both animal and plant based.  I needed some information on linen as I have some waiting to become a shell, and she was most helpful with that.  The knitting backwards class was taught in an amazing manner, because she didn't show us a thing, but had us learn to think about how we would hold our needles to do a stitch, then what the motions would be to accomplish that on the back side of the knitting.  It's going to take practice, but I think I'm really going to like working with this for short rows of all kinds!

I already had several of Shannon Mullett-Bowslby's  Craftsy classes, and really have enjoyed watching them, but honestly, haven't taken the time to practice.  I took an amazing class in Foundation Crochet, and the things I learned there are going to revolutionize my work!  I hate to chain stitch--yes, I know that's how you start.  Maybe I should say how you USED to start!  I can't even imagine doing that anymore, and to practice I'm working on a different scarf from the one mentioned above.  The first row is 340 double crochets--yes, 340.  That would mean 343 chains.  I don't know about you, but my nightmare is not doing enough and not discovering until I was almost done.  In foundation crochet, you actually create the chain and the accompanying stitch at the same time.  Genius!  I absolutely LOVED that class, and already have over 120 double crochets on my foundation chain for the scarf.  I also took a class he entitled The Joy of Ribbing.  He wasn't talking knit ribbing here--it can also be done with a hook.  We learned several different ways to do it, and that, too, I'll have to practice.  '

The company that sponsors these events is branching out next year and expanding the offerings at their events.  They have one next spring, I think on the East Coast, that will include other crafts, like quilting and sewing and other things as well.  I hope it goes well because it's an amazing idea!  The only problem will be deciding just what to take.  I do love to learn!